How Did Espresso Become the Classic Coffee of Italy?

Espresso is one of the most fundamental yet technically demanding drinks in coffee. Its prototype dates to 1884, when Italian Angelo Moriondo patented a machine that used two boilers to generate roughly 1.5 bar of steam pressure and push hot water through coffee grounds, yielding a concentrated but inconsistent liquid.

In the early 20th century Luigi Bezzerra patented and redesigned the machine, holding water near 94°C and adding a filter basket to improve mouthfeel, and Desiderio Pavoni later bought the patent and presented an improved version with a pressure valve and steam wand at the 1906 Milan Exposition.

Espresso is one of the most fundamental yet technically demanding beverages in the coffee world. From Angelo Moriondo's patented design in 1884, to Luigi Bezzerra's improvements and La Pavoni's commercial promotion, the espresso extraction method has evolved over more than a century. This article will systematically cover the definition of espresso, its flavor characteristics, the factors affecting its taste, standard extraction parameters, and tasting methods, while incorporating Front Street Coffee's in-store practical experience and product recommendations to help coffee enthusiasts gain a comprehensive understanding of this classic coffee category.

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow our WeChat official account: Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) The prototype of espresso can be traced back to 1884, when Italian Angelo Moriondo designed a patented prototype of an espresso machine. The operating principle at the time was to use two independent boilers to heat water to boiling point to generate steam, then rely on the pressure generated by the steam (approximately 1.5 bar) to push hot water through the coffee grounds, thereby obtaining a highly concentrated coffee liquid.

However, this extraction method made it difficult to ensure consistent quality in every cup of espresso. By the early 20th century, another Italian, Luigi Bezzerra, obtained a patent for an espresso machine and redesigned and improved the equipment, pioneering a method that pressurized hot water within tens of seconds, rapidly forced it through extremely finely ground coffee, and extracted espresso directly into the cup. He made several adjustments based on Moriondo's design, controlling the water temperature to a range more suitable for presenting quality flavors — approximately 94°C. He also added a coffee filter basket for filtration, which improved the mouthfeel of the espresso. The improved machine was put into commercial sale, and from then on, espresso rapidly extracted through steam pressurization quickly became popular throughout Italy, loved and sought after by the public.

After espresso became popular in Italy, designer Desiderio Pavoni bought Bezzerra's patent, and the two worked together to create a more refined coffee machine equipped with a pressure valve and steam wand, which was officially unveiled at the Milan Exposition in 1906. This brand is now known as "La Pavoni," and its espresso machine design philosophy and extraction principles are directly in line with the espresso-making methods we are familiar with today. What Is Espresso? From the working principle of the espresso machine that Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) just introduced, it can be seen that espresso is made using extremely finely ground coffee, with the machine pressurizing and injecting 94°C hot water through the coffee bed, extracting a highly concentrated coffee liquid.

Despite its high concentration, a properly extracted espresso is not unbearably bitter. Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) believes that while an ideal espresso has a strong flavor, it should not carry a burnt bitterness. The crema is delicate and smooth, the overall mouthfeel is rich and clean, and there is a clear sweet aftertaste in the finish. The espresso extracted by Front Street Coffee is covered with a layer of golden crema on the surface. This crema is not pure fat, but rather a large amount of carbon dioxide produced and stored during the roasting process as the structure of freshly roasted coffee beans changes.

When coffee beans are ground into extremely fine particles and extracted under pressure as high as 9 bar, the sealed and pressurized conditions cause the coffee bean oils and carbon dioxide to merge together, which are then squeezed out by water, forming a delicate and smooth crema foam. Therefore, if you want to obtain a delicious espresso, you should choose freshly roasted coffee beans with a medium-dark roast level or darker, and grind and brew on demand, so that there is enough carbon dioxide to form espresso crema.

As the time since roasting increases, the structure of coffee beans continues to change, and more carbon dioxide is stored within the beans. However, more carbon dioxide is not necessarily better. Excessive carbon dioxide will make the crema of the espresso taste rough, and will also interfere with the release of soluble substances during extraction. All coffee beans sold by Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) are shipped within 5 days of completing roasting, guaranteeing 100% freshly roasted. After purchasing Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) espresso beans, it is recommended not to open the package and to leave them in a cool, dry place until 7 days after the roast completion date on the back label before starting to use them. During this period, the coffee beans will naturally release carbon dioxide through the one-way degassing valve on the packaging. Releasing an appropriate amount of carbon dioxide helps achieve more stable extraction.

How to Extract Espresso? According to Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) standards, use 7-9 grams (double: 14-18 grams) of coffee grounds, extract 25-35g of coffee liquid within 20-30 seconds, with an extraction pressure of 9-10 bar and a water temperature maintained at 90-96°C. Each coffee machine, grinder, and coffee bean used will result in certain differences in espresso extraction parameters, so one cannot judge solely by grind setting and extraction time. The most critical thing is to adjust parameters based on the final taste performance of the espresso.

Each coffee shop will make adjustments up or down based on the coffee beans and equipment used. Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) stores use their own "Front Street Sunflower Warm Sun Blend Coffee Beans" with a unique whiskey vanilla cream flavor, featuring notes of whiskey, cream, vanilla, and milk chocolate. For those who enjoy rich and aromatic coffee, Front Street Classic Espresso Blend is recommended. This is a blend composed of beans from three origins — Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam — using a dark roast that maximizes the rich aroma of the coffee and allows everyone to easily extract abundant and velvety crema. It is suitable for making both Americano diluted with water and latte paired with milk, and can be purchased from the Front Street Taobao store or Front Street Tmall flagship store.

Based on the barista's daily adjustments at the store, on the day this article was written, 19.5g of extremely finely ground coffee was used, with 94°C hot water pressurized to extract 35g of coffee liquid, with an extraction time of approximately 30 seconds. The espresso presented a vanilla cream-like smoothness, slight berry sweetness and tartness, fermented wine aroma, and hazelnut caramel sweetness.

How to Drink Espresso? Compared to the strong and bitter taste of espresso from over a decade ago, today's coffee bean quality continues to improve, and with everyone's deeper research into coffee roasting, the quality of espresso has improved accordingly.

Before tasting, take a sip of ice water to cleanse the palate and cause the tongue muscles to contract slightly. After the barista serves the espresso, you can stir the coffee with a spoon to make it more uniform. Then taste it in three sips. The first sip is to taste the flavors, the second sip to feel the richness, and the third sip to experience the sweet aftertaste and lingering finish.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.